Second Alter show opens in Tokyo with work from 75 young designers

The second edition of Alter, an exhibition of young designers' work, has opened in central Tokyo. Dezeen reported that the show brings together work from 75 creators, most of them in their 20s or 30s.

The exhibition is held at Nihonbashi Mitsu Hall, a venue in the Nihonbashi district. It runs during the 10th Designart Tokyo, a city-wide design festival with events at many locations across the capital. Designart Tokyo 2026 runs from 30 October to 8 November.

Some of the pieces are unusual. Paris studio LS Gomma contributed a polyurethane rubber sconce lamp, a wall-mounted light, with a glowing ribbed body that looks like lungs. Tariki Research Institute presented a "tea ceremony with no host," using vessels designed by artificial intelligence from environmental data.

Another project, Bole, comes from Pan Projects working with Morisho and Morisuke Mei Tree Industry. The team made eight stools from each log of a Japanese cedar tree. They cut the log into discs, so that every part of it is used.

Dutch designer Tim Teven curated a group show called At First Contact. It includes a bright green vessel by Audrey Large.

Alter has a short history in Tokyo. The first edition ran from 7 to 9 November 2025 and showed work from 56 creatives, according to Dezeen's 2025 coverage. That coverage said the show aimed to revive what it called Tokyo's increasingly homogenous design scene. Among the 2025 pieces were window blinds that are almost invisible and a chair covered in layers of washi, a Japanese paper.

The organisers describe alter. as a project that questions the usual way products are made, with the aim of rethinking value and creativity. In April, the official alter. Tokyo site announced the committee members for the 2026 edition.

Visitors who want to see both events can do so during the Designart Tokyo period, which closes on 8 November.